Hankow, Mar. 21.
Japanese army forces carly today threatened to capture Wuning, pivotal Chinese defence position in the Wangyang mountain "range in north western Kiangs{ province, as Japanese columns launched a conferred attack upon the Nationalist ines extending from Lake Poyang in the east to Lake Tungting inthe we est.
The piercing of these Chinese positions were expected here to have 2 telling effect upon the Chinese Nationalist defence strategy south of the Yangtze.
Japanese Infarttry forces last, night mitrated in large numbers into the Chinese camp near Wuning preparing for a bayonet assault upon the town, which was subjected {0 an intensive artillery barrage from dawn, field dispatches stated.
'Operations in' this sector were Iunehed on Sunday as a Japanese force struck westward from' Lok on the Yungsui-Siusul highway, a. communique issued by Japanese headquarters here at 10 o'clock this morning revealed, By 2 o'clock yesterd: the official announcement said, Japanese force had advanced to a Hine linking - Kwanglinshan, " Wangchwang and Tsinkou. Wanchwang is halfway between Loi and. Wunin "Thirteen Japanese units, Domei field dispatches revealed, were engaged ina furious battle in a. rain-Souged terrain against five Chinese divisions, including the Sard, 16th, '71th, 15th and Third.
One Japanese column, the reports said, had outflanked the Chinese threatening to cut off their retreat. More than 1,000 Chinese dead wore Toft behind by their comrades as they retreated yesterday, the dispatches Also taken in the early stages of the "offensive was Yingtzeshan, im= portant point on the motor highway extending southward out of Yingsiu.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.